Ana de Armas as Eve in Lionsgate's 'Ballerina.' Courtesy of Lionsgate Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Lionsgate, now without Starz results, on Thursday posted lower overall studio business revenues and a widened loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2026. The Hollywood studio, led by CEO Jon Feltheimer, during the first quarter recorded a net profit attributable to shareholders at $108.9 million, compared to a year-earlier $59.4 million loss, on overall studio business revenue falling to $556 million, compared to a year-earlier $590.7 million. The total revenue line for the latest quarter beat a Wall Street estimate by $3 million. Related Stories Movies Mel Gibson's 'Resurrection of the Christ' to Now Be Two Films That Will Both Open in Spring 2027 Business Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer's Pay Fell to $9.8 Million in 2025 Lionsgate posted an earnings per-share loss of 40 cents, compared to a year-earlier per-share loss of 24 cents. Adjusted OIBDA came to a loss of $3.7 million. The newly-launched Lionsgate Studios business is comprised of Lionsgate's Motion Picture Group and Television Studio business, along with a 20,000-strong film and TV library. Starz, also a standalone publicly-traded company, discloses its own financial results. The company's studios business, which combines the Motion Picture and TV production segments, saw Motion Picture revenue fall to $267.3 million, compared to $349.6 million in the year-ago period. Lionsgate said the prior year period had gains from from carry-over profits from fiscal 2024 titles like The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes. During the latest first quarter, Ballerina, a spin-off from the John Wick franchise, was the main theatrical release out of Lionsgate, with Shadow Force and Hurry Up Tomorrow also filling screens at the multiplex. During an after-market analyst call, CEO Feltheimer said the studio was laying the ground "toward returning to the solid and significant growth in fiscal 27 that we've previously projected." He pointed to three major tentpoles anchoring the fiscal 2027 movie slate: The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which has just started production in Spain ahead of a Thanksgiving 2026 release; the Michael Jackson biopic Michael dated for a April 24, 2026 release as it shifts to next year; and Mel Gibson's Resurrection of the Christ, the follow-up to The Passion of the Christ, to be released in two parts. The first film will open on Good Friday in March 2027, and the second film will roll out six weeks later on Ascension Day in May 2027. Feltheimer alluded to the recent domestic box office underperformance for Ballerina, but added the film is nearing $140 million at the worldwide box office and doing well in ancillary markets with John Wick fans. Elsewhere during the latest quarter, TV production revenue rose to $288.5 million, against a year-earlier $241.1 million, on an increase in episodic deliveries and more profitable new series. "Though we continue to see pressure in the broader TV operating environment, we are continuing to deliver noisy properties that resonate across every genre, economic model and type of platform," Feltheimer told analysts. He pointed to premium TV series like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's The Studio for Apple TV+ and The Hunting Wives on Netflix as performing for Lionsgate. Upcoming TV titles include the gladiator drama Spartacus: House of Ashur and the spinoff Power: Origins for Starz. The segment profit, a key metric, for the Motion Picture division, came in at $2.4 million, compared to a year-earlier $85.2 million. The TV Production segment profit came in at $26 million, compared to a year-earlier $10.7 million. On the analyst call, Feltheimer addressed the strategic possibilities in bringing in a partner to help run and grow the management and production company 3 Arts Entertainment, with an eye to possibly reducing the studio's debt load. "They're doing a great job. They're (3 Arts) on a roll in a really hot sector, and there's lots of investor interest in it. We've spent some money on acquiring two terrific management companies (One is A&A Management). But, for sure, we're cognizant of our balance sheet and if we can bring in the right partner to help us fund the growth and help us a little on the balance sheet, I think that's something we would certainly and are considering," Feltheimer added. Lionsgate has a majority 75 percent stake in 3 Arts. On the mergers and acquisitions front, Feltheimer defended the recent separation of Lionsgate's studio business from Starz for opening up strategic possibilities for the studio in a disrupted and consolidating entertainment industry. "We understand our earnings power, but also understand the scale we have, that I think doing some kind of strategic transaction down the road is s